Sunday, January 28, 2007

Biblioholism



Sidney Williams has a great post up about his Biblioholism. There are some hilarious lines here, made all the more so because they are true. I know because I've experienced the same thing. Sid is also talking about finally reading a book that he feels he should have gotten to long ago. I know what that's like too, and, in fact, two days ago I started L. Ron Hubbard's Fear, which I've heard much about over the past five years or so. It's certainly interesting so far, and holds my attention. There are plenty that don't.

At the risk of admitting my own poor education, there are a few other books on my shelves that I should have already read but haven't. I hope you all won't think less of me, but, hey, we've been talking about honesty in writing, haven't we? I'm just being honest. Besides, Sid admitted his failure first.

Here's my list:

Tolstoy's War and Peace. All I can say in my defense is, My God, it's huge.

E. R. Eddison's The Worm Ouroboros. My God, it's huge.

Lord Dunsayny's The King of Elfland's Daughter. Uhm, I can't even claim that it's all that big.

David Lindsay's A Voyage to Arcturus. It seems sort of big.

Walt Whitman's Leaves of Grass. I've been working on this slowly for about two years.

Charles Maturin's Melmoth the Wanderer. It's big, and well, kinda old.

There, that's enough for now. I can only take so much embarrassment in one post. So go ahead, leave me as the illiterate slob that I am. I promise, I promise. I'll get to them. I will.

11 comments:

RK Sterling said...

LOL, Charles, those excuses seem valid to me. ;)

I haven't read "Atlas Shrugged" because, well... the cover is all gray and dusty and you see...well...*shrugs*

Susan Miller said...

I can't even begin to admit my list, and that's truly where I have failed myself in the past few years. This year my two resolutions were to read more and take salsa lessons so that maybe next year my list can be as short as yours and I can dance with the best of 'em.

Steve Malley said...

I can look up at my shelves from here and see Chaucer, Milton and Dante filed under 'good intentions'. The print is very, very small, you see.

What really baffles me are the ones by Dickens and Wilkie Collins. Every time I finally give in and read one, it's a great time to rival the best modern thrillers. I *know* this.

But there they sit...

Charles Gramlich said...

Oops, I forgot "Atlas Shrugged." I need to read that one too. And Susan, my list isn't short, I posted only a partial. Steve, I've gotten through Dante's "Inferno" and Chaucer, but for Dickens I confess to only reading "A Christmas Carol," which I loved. I've only read part of "Don Quiote," as well, but I did make it all the way through "Moby Dick" a few years back.

Sidney said...

Oh wow, I was thinking mainly of genre items I haven't read. If you start pulling at the classics thread I'm like Steve, I can see Bleak House, Atlas Shrugged, Chaucer, The Brothers Karamazov and The Hunchback of Notre-Dame and that' just on my left.

Randy Johnson said...

I've read Atlas Shrugged, but not much Dickens. Or Moby Dick.

Basil Ratbane said...

I am trying to post, and this fershlugginer blog will not let me.

I demand a recount!

Basil Ratbane

Wayne Allen Sallee said...

FATHER OF FRANKENSTEIN, by Christopher Bram. The book GODS & MONSTERS was based on. I actually read the first 7 pages one day before the el train arrived. Then things got in the way. I also have all of the Martin Beck books by Maj Stowall and Per Wahloo but have read only 3 of the 9. Life is not fair.

Basil Ratbane said...

Striving yet again to post. I invoke the ladies again, as no lady writers have been mentioned here as unread except Ayn Rand.

Is she perhaps the worst woman writer ever invented?

I know there are those who think so.

Michelle's Spell said...

I don't even want to start on my list! I figured if I don't read a lot of stuff that I'm supposed to, it's like an insurance policy, ie, I'll read it before I die. Can't die until then. Keep putting it off. You get the idea.

Charles Gramlich said...

Women writers I haven't read? The Bronte's come to mind. I've not read "enough" Sylvia Plath. And for Basil, I haven't read "Peyton Place."

Michelle, that's a better reason to put them off than my usual exclamation of "My god they're huge."